A Tale of Sanosuke 2: Aizu
by Aaerdan
Summary: Sanosuke pays a friend a visit ... and chances upon an old foe as well....


_The characters in this tale belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki. This tale follows **A tale of Sanosuke: Niigata**, and precedes **A tale of Sanosuke - 3: Tokyo **and **A tale of Sanosuke - 4: Shinshu**. _

_Many thanks for all the constructive feedback!_

_This tale is dedicated to Aredhel._

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**_A tale of Sanosuke - 2: Aizu_**

* * *

**By Daniel Lam**

THE physician gently released the child's hand and wrote down her diagnosis. The only other person in the room, the child's mother, had worry written on her face, but she waited patiently for the physician to speak. 

When nothing was forthcoming even after the writing had long stopped, the mother frowned. It was unlike the physician to be so distracted.

"Doctor?"

Takani Megumi looked up from the desk. "Yes? Oh!" She looked visibly flustered. "I'm sorry, Mrs Moriya."

She got up, went to the door and slid it open. "Mrs Akashi?"

A middle-aged woman appeared. "Yes, Ms Megumi?"

"Please bring me these medicines." She handed Mrs Akashi the piece of paper. The woman took it and went off.

Once seated, Megumi tried her best to smile.

"Is it bad?" Mrs Moriya asked. "My Genji?" She stroked the boy's forehead. He responded by coughing.

Megumi shook her head. "No, it's nothing serious, Mrs Moriya. I just have something on my mind," she explained. She looked at the boy. "It's the cold air that's making little Genji cough. I'd advise keeping him indoors until he gets better."

Mrs Akashi tapped on the door before entering the room. In her hand were several paper packets, which she handed to Megumi. The physician nodded her thanks and the assistant stepped out.

Megumi gave detailed instructions as to how and when the medicines should be given to the boy. "After little Genji gets better, make sure he wears warm clothes before going outdoors."

Mrs Moriya nodded. "Thank you, doctor." She hesitated, then said: "About the payment...."

The physician shook her head. "I know, don't worry about it. You can pay me whenever you can."

The mother bowed. "May the gods bless you, doctor!" She nudged the boy. "Thank the doctor, Genji!"

The boy mouthed his thanks before coughing again. Megumi patted him on the head and smiled.

"You listen to your mother, you hear?"

Genji nodded and managed a smile.

Once alone, Megumi stared at a folded piece of paper at one corner of her desk. She had wanted to put it away somewhere, but today was the day. She needed to be reminded of that.

She sighed loudly. There was a tap on the door, and Mrs Akashi peered in.

"Ms Megumi, there is one last patient," she stated.

"Send him in, then," Megumi said without looking at her.

The older woman hesitated. "I ... I'm not sure about him...."

Megumi turned. "Is he too sick? That's fine, I'll go to him." She got up.

Mrs Akashi shook her head. "No, Ms Megumi ... he ... he hardly looks ill."

"Hmmmm?"

"There something ... odd about him ... I don't know. But what worries me is that letter," the woman gestured at the folded paper on the desk, "-and now this healthy man turns up."

"From the Yakuza?" Megumi asked. She opened a drawer and took out her dagger. It won't be very useful, but it could scare off most thugs.

Mrs Akashi's eyes were on the weapon. "I don't know ... I've never seen him around here before. But he ... he wears the character for "Evil" on his back."

"What?"

Megumi's heart skipped a beat and she nearly dropped the dagger. She pushed past Mrs Akashi, then stopped and apologised.

"Please come with me, Mrs Akashi. But don't stay too close ... if there is trouble, I need you to run and call the police," she said. The older woman nodded.

Megumi then strode into the waiting area. There was just one man there, seated cross-legged on the floor. She recognised the undisciplined hair, the naughty look in his eyes, even the fishbone sticking out of a corner of his mouth.

He got up and she was struck by how much taller he was - she had forgotten about that. Megumi was of above average height for a Japanese woman, which also meant that she was taller than many of the men, but this man was even more so. He was bulkier now than she had remembered him.

"Sano," she greeted without smiling.

Sagara Sanosuke grinned. "Come on, we meet after six years and not even a smile from you? Don't you miss me?" He eyed the dagger. "Is that meant for me? I don't remember ever ticking you off that much."

Megumi turned to Mrs Akashi, who stood behind the door. "Mrs Akashi, you may go now. It's alright ... I know this man."

The woman bowed. "Good night, then. I hope to see you tomorrow, Ms Megumi."

"Good night, Mrs Akashi. Take care."

"You too." Mrs Akashi went past the man, who bowed and bid her good night as well.

Once they were alone, Sanosuke stated: "Well?"

Megumi smiled. "Welcome back, Sano. I'm glad you're still in one piece." She frowned, as if she remembered something unpleasant. "Oh, I've forgotten my manners!" She motioned for him to follow her into the tearoom.

Sanosuke took his duffel bag and followed her lead. He could sense that something was bothering her, and it wasn't him.

_Which is good news, I think,_ he mused. _But what would worry her so?_

"Megumi ... let's go out," he said finally. She stopped and turned.

"Alright. Please wait while I get my purse."

Sanosuke shook his head. "Nahh, my treat. I'm not _that_ broke."

He flashed that grin again, which Megumi could not help but appreciate. Then she noticed that he had several fresh cuts on his chin.

"Cut yourself?"

"Yeah ... tried to make myself look presentable," he laughed. "Come, let's go. I passed a decent-looking claypot beef shop down the street."

Megumi went to her desk and put the dagger away. She took her purse anyway, just in case. And, after some careful thought, the letter.

"Hey, I know women take forever, but-"

She shot him a glare that was both a warning and a gesture of fondness. "Let's go!"

Sanosuke waited as she locked up.

"Expecting trouble?" he asked when she padlocked the outer gate as well. "It's just a clinic, isn't it?"

Megumi did not respond, and Sanosuke decided not to push the matter. Not immediately, anyway. He made a mental note to ask about it later, though.

_She needs some cheering up,_ he thought. _And good old Sano knows what to do!_

"So ... been busy, huh?" he asked casually. "I came early, you know."

"You did?"

"Yeah. Got here late in the morning. Had a little trouble finding you," he said.

They neared the shop.

"Oh?"

"Nobody seemed to know of a physician who goes by the name of 'Foxwoman'," he said, grinning.

Her hand moved on its own volition to punch him on the head. Sanosuke was obviously expecting this, for he ducked out of the way. But she was smiling again.

"You've always been a rascal, Sano," she said.

"Ahhh ... but this is a very well-travelled rascal," he replied. "I'll have you know that I've been around the world." Then: "Ah, we're here!"

The shop was quite crowded already. But just then a family finished eating, so the two took up the vacated cubicle. A waitress came and cleared the small table.

"Claypot beef for three, please," Sanosuke ordered. After the waitress had left, he explained to Megumi: "I can still eat enough for two."

Megumi was not paying him any attention, however. Her eyes were on the other patrons. Some looked familiar to her; some had been patients of hers before. Others looked like normal people; civilians, not thugs.

"If you're worried about troublemakers, Megumi, I'm here, remember?" Sanosuke said suddenly. He didn't look like he was joking. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "Nothing, Sano. Nothing at all." The waitress came with a pot of soup, which she placed on the small stove in the middle of the table.

Megumi took this opportunity to watch Sanosuke closely. He looked a little older, but everything that made him likable (once you got to know him) was still there. He was indeed bulkier now, and his shirt was actually buttoned up. The waitress lit the stove and left to bring the ingredients.

"Where have you been? Your letter mentioned a number of places," she said as she stirred the soup with a ladle.

"You know about my letter to Kenshin?"

Megumi nodded. The waitress came back with the beef, tofu and other ingredients.

"That's fine," Megumi told her. Then, she turned to Sanosuke. "Yes ... your letter came in time for our spring meeting."

"Oh?"

"We were all there: Kenshin, Kaoru and-" Megumi paused, and for a moment there, Sanosuke saw her eyes turn glassy. "-Kenji. Yahiko and Tsubame. Even Aoshi and Misao came. And of course, me."

Sanosuke nodded. "What about ... Saitou?"

Megumi shook her head. "I don't know. I heard Aoshi mention his name to Kenshin, but not what they discussed about him."

The soup was starting to boil. Megumi poured the beef pieces into the soup while continuing to stir. Then went the other ingredients, and finally the tofu. In time, the food was cooked and ready.

As they ate, Sanosuke told her about his adventures. She would interrupt him now and then to seek clarification.

"It sounds like a lot of fun," Megumi said after Sanosuke finished his tale about his encounter with members of the Chinese triads in Kwangtung. "Dangerous, but interesting."

"Would you have liked to come along?" he asked, polishing off the last of the soup.

To his surprise, she did not answer immediately. Then, she shook her head.

"Tell me more about your adventures," Megumi said suddenly.

"I was planning on finally asking about you, actually," Sanosuke said.

"Me? There's not much to tell-" her voice trailed as she saw two rough-looking men enter the shop.

Sanosuke looked too. They didn't look like much, though he could tell that they had knives concealed under their shirts. They looked around, then joined two men who had been waiting for them. Soon they were laughing and jesting. Megumi seemed relieved at this.

"Megumi ... what's wrong? Are you in some kind of trouble?"

She looked him straight in the eye. "I hate having to do this ... but, yes, Sano." She handed him the letter.

It took Sanosuke a while to read the letter. He couldn't read some of the more complicated words, but he understood the rest well enough. He returned it to her and waved to the waitress. He then settled the bill, much to Megumi's surprise, although she didn't say anything.

It was after they were a distance away from the shop that he asked: "What do they want? The deed to the land?"

"Maybe ... but most of all, they want me to stop my practise."

"Why? You're treating those who can't afford to pay anyway!"

Megumi shook her head. "A friend of mine, a physician who is a member of this foundation, tells me that there are two factions. His faction is the weaker one."

"So?"

"He sells me medicines at cost ... sometimes, less. He has stopped, because they had threatened to boycott him," she said. "Of late, I have been getting news from some of my patients that some unsavoury characters have been hanging around the clinic."

"How unsavoury?" Sanosuke cracked his knuckles. "Maybe I can help."

"I don't know ... I've never seen them myself," she said, glaring at his display. "Have you learnt nothing? Violence doesn't solve everything, idiot!"

"Well, if they are merely thugs...."

"No, they are not. I've been told one of these was a man in a Western-style suit," she said. "Mrs Akashi told me that this particular man gave her the creeps."

Sanosuke wasn't impressed. "I bet I gave her the creeps too ... I could see it in her eyes. Maybe she's not used to seeing someone as good-looking as me."

"Be serious! I trust Mrs Akashi's instincts ... she knows that I have received death threats and all. As for you, you looked too healthy to be a patient."

He thumped his chest. "True ... my selling points are my toughness and my charm."

Megumi did not answer, for they arrived at the clinic, and her eyes were on the front gate, which was slightly ajar. The padlock lay on the ground; it had been prised open.

Even though the lighting in the street was poor, Sanosuke could make out the fear in the woman's eyes. He dropped his duffel bag and stepped forward.

"I don't know what's beyond this gate, Megumi," he said in a low voice. "Stay here, and don't come in until I call, you hear? If I'm not out in ten minutes, go to the police."

Megumi nodded.

Sanosuke grinned. "Don't worry about me, though. I plan on staying over tonight, so it's only fair I earn my stay as a guard. Fair enough?"

He did not wait for her response. He pushed the gate open, and stepped through.

There were four men in the courtyard, and they drew their katana as Sanosuke approached them.

One thing Sanosuke learned in his travels, and that is to be the first to make demands when faced with superior odds. Doing so tends to take the opposition by surprise.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" he growled.

True enough, they hesitated, long enough for Sanosuke to close the distance with a few quick steps and slam his fist into one of them, sending him flying. Before the others could react, Sanosuke pivoted on his heel and sent another to the land of dreams.

"It's been a long time since I broke some jaws on native soil," he declared, cracking his knuckles. "Come on!"

A number of loud, pained grunts and crashing sounds later, he stepped outside to see a Megumi who was evidently wracked with worry. It did not help that some of the thugs actually managed to slash open his shirt, revealing what seemed to be a layer of metal links.

"What is that?" she demanded.

"Oh, something I picked up in Europe," he said. "It was a gift," he added in response to her questioning look. She proceeded to give him a quick run-over to make sure he was unhurt.

"You seem to have managed to avoid getting hurt," she remarked. "You must have improved a lot over the years."

Sanosuke took her by surprise with his response: "No, these were common thugs."

He gestured for her to follow him into the courtyard, where nine men in various degrees of hurt - mostly bruises and broken jaws, it seemed - sat on the floor, their hands and feet bound with their own shirts. A short distance away were some swords, a number of which were broken. One of them was naught more than a hilt and pommel.

Megumi crouched before the man who seemed the least wounded. He was also the only one still conscious.

"That one was leading them. When I got to him, he was in the house, telling his men to turn your clinic upside down," Sanosuke told her.

"Who sent you?" she asked the man.

The man made as if to spit on her, and Megumi stepped back reflexively. But he didn't, for Sanosuke had caught him by the neck and lifted him clean off his feet.

"You answer our questions, or I'll give you a taste of what I did to your katana," he threatened, gesturing at the pile of weapons.

"N-no, I'll talk!" the man stammered, and Sanosuke released him. He fell with a thud.

Megumi sighed. Then: "Who sent you?"

The man told her. Sanosuke's eyes flickered.

"I don't know him. What does he want with my clinic?" Megumi continued.

"I-I don't know, miss..."

"Where can I find this man?" Sanosuke asked.

"In the business district ... at the posh hotel near the police station," the man said. "He has a whole floor all to himself."

"I'll have to pay him a visit, then."

The man sniggered. "He's a 'big man' in the government. He has armed men and all, and lots of guns."

Sanosuke's eyes narrowed. Then, he turned to Megumi and gestured at his duffel bag. "Megumi, please take good care of my things. I have to go somewhere."

"Sano?"

"Don't worry ... I'll come back," he assured.

She took him by the hand and led him away from the men. "It's not that, you idiot. What do I do about these men? I'll have to call the police."

"The police don't know I'm back in Japan," he said.

Sanosuke been forced to flee Japan six years ago after having got into trouble with the law. It really did not help that he had got on the wrong side of some key government officials.

"You call the police ... tell them some tall, handsome stranger saved you," he said. "Which isn't untrue."

"Sano..." She looked like she was about to hit him.

He smiled. "I'll be back, I promise you. I think I can handle this 'big man' ... just look after my things. Some of them are priceless, mementos of my journeys."

"Sano..." her tone was softer now. "Take care."

"I will." He reached for the bag, undid the strings and took out a cloak. Wrapping it around his neck so that the lower half of his face is covered, he bowed to the physician.

"Don't wait up for me," he said, and turned to go.

It took him a good hour looking for the business district because apart from being unfamiliar with these parts, he had neglected to ask for directions.

_I really should have asked,_ Sanosuke scolded himself. _Been around the world and still haven't learnt!_

After waking up a number of drunkards lying on the street, asking the right questions and making the proper overtures, Sanosuke found himself at the business district. He could make out the police station just up ahead.

The posh hotel turned out to be a three-storey building with armed guards at the door. The hotel building was actually quite a distance away from the police station, which suited Sanosuke fine.

_The cops won't come running if they don't hear anything,_ he thought. He watched the guards closely. _Hmmm, no point announcing my arrival by going through the guards. They don't look like ordinary men ... probably former samurai._

He walked casually around the hotel, noting a number of possible entry points. In the end he decided on the left side, which conveniently had a half-open window on the third floor, right next to a pipe from the roof to a side drain.

Sanosuke spat into his palms and rubbed them together before making his way up the pipe. Within minutes he was in.

It took his eyes a while to get adjusted to the lack of light. He was in what looked to be a Western-style toilet, complete with a bidet.

The sight of the bidet reminded him of his first experience with it, just a couple of years back.

_Concentrate on the mission, idiot!_ he berated himself. He went to the door and swung it open.

There was a huge poster bed, and a short, fat man in it, snoring loudly. There was also a woman lying next to him, reading by candlelight.

She saw him and got ready to scream, but Sanosuke closed the distance in two steps and placed his hand over her mouth.

"Are you his wife?" he asked in a very low voice, when it became apparent that she had realised he was not about to harm her.

She shook her head. "I-I work..."

Sanosuke nodded. "Get dressed and get out. I have business with him."

"Yes," she got up quickly. Out of courtesy Sanosuke looked away as she tiptoed behind the screen and put on her clothes. He went to a pile of men's clothes and sifted through it.

"Has he paid you?" he asked when she was ready.

"Tomorrow, he said," she replied.

"Take this as his payment, then," he said, handing her a wad of bank notes. "Go and start a new life, away from this crap."

She did not take the money straight away.

"Don't worry ... he'll think that I robbed him," Sanosuke assured her.

"Thank you, sir," she said, taking the money and bowing.

Sanosuke went to the window to make sure she had left. She went out the front door, eliciting some remarks from the guards as she crossed the street.

_Now, time for business,_ he thought.

He was in no mood to be treated to the sight of a naked fat man, so he took a pillow and threw it on the man's face.

The fat man woke up grumbling. He looked straight at Sanosuke, then rubbed his eyes before taking another look.

"Oh my..." the fat man managed.

"Yes, pork bun. Remember me, do you?" Sanosuke grinned.

Tani Juusanrou remembered Sanosuke. It was Sanosuke who, along with Ishin Shishi patriot Himura Kenshin, protected him from the assassin Udo Jineh, years ago. Tani also remembered that Sanosuke had beaten him up on the same occasion.

And just months after that incident, Sanosuke had foiled Tani's plans to take over a waystation for the silk trade. Not only was Tani's nephew - a former sumo wrestler by the name of Fudozawa - and two hundred men severely punished for their indiscretions, Sanosuke also gave Tani a good hiding.

The assault on a former Ishin Shishi patriot - for that was what Tani was, and now a high-ranking government official at that - did not go down well with the authorities, thus forcing Sanosuke to flee Japan.

"You ... the police," Tani stammered.

"Yes, I'm here. And the police are not," Sanosuke stated, and poked Tani in the belly. "You have been a very naughty man."

"I-I don't know what ... you're talking about," Tani managed.

"Save you breath. I'll tell you something: Takani Megumi is a very good friend of mine," Sanosuke said, with emphasis on the last four words. "I don't like those who try to harm my friends."

"The lady physician?"

"Yes. Leave her alone, y'hear?"

Tani nodded. Sanosuke turned to go. He heard the ruffling of the comforter, and then the sound of a firearm being cocked.

He cursed and jumped to his left, just as the gun went off. He felt something hit him in the back.

Sanosuke rolled to his feet, and beheld Tani, naked as the day he was born, with a pistol in hand.

"Why you rotten-" Sanosuke exclaimed just as Tani fired off another shot.

The impact of the second bullet threw him back a bit, but the former street brawler was still standing.

"Is that the best you can do, pork bun?" he muttered, but he did not advance.

"No ... but I have another four bullets," Tani said. "You are a very tough man, whatever your name is."

"Sanosuke," he gave. "My name is Sagara Sanosuke, pork bun."

"Hmmph! You expect me to give up on the woman just because you say so?"

"Why do you want her land? It's not even a prime property."

"Fool! Why would I want her land? She is creating trouble by treating people for free ... but that's telling you too much. Now you can die!" Tani pulled the trigger.

Sanosuke dodged it this time, and was about to charge him when the door burst open and a number of sword-wielding men rushed in.

"Get him, get him!" Tani screamed.

Sanosuke floored the first two before they even saw him coming. The others held their swords in a way that forced him back to avoid impaling himself on them, and letting them stream into the room. Sanosuke was quickly surrounded.

"What took you so long?" Tani demanded. "I fired three shots already!"

"We heard, sir-" one of the men began to explain, but Tani cut him off.

"Never mind, kill him, now!"

Sanosuke moved at that moment, punching and kicking his way past the gauntlet. One of the men actually managed to get him in the arm, moments before he was sent flying across the room.

But more came into the room, and these were not the lowly thugs whom Sanosuke took on all those years ago. But neither was he the same man who took out 200 thugs.

He timed it perfectly. As their blades descended on him, far too many to dodge, Sanosuke struck the floor with both fists. He felt the surge of _ki_ coursing through his body, out his hands and channel into the floor.

_Futae no Kiwami, Sanosuke-style!_

The shockwave was like an explosion without the pyrotechnics. Nineteen swordsmen were thrown back, crashing loudly. Not one got up.

"In Arabia, they called me _Raad_ ... thunder," Sanosuke said aloud for Tani's benefit. He heard the pulling of the pistol trigger.

He cursed again. In the excitement of battle, Sanosuke ... _Forgot about his gun!_ he thought.

There were three gunshots in quick succession, and Sanosuke fell to his knees.

"Got you this time, didn't I?" Tani laughed. "Tough one, you are, but nothing in this world can survive five direct hits!"

Sanosuke did not respond straight away. But he stood up and turned to face Tani.

"That's where you're wrong, pork bun!" he said through gritted teeth.

Tani gasped. "This is impossible!"

The sound of Sanosuke's fists striking each other with great force was enough to send Tani backing into a wall.

"P-please ... don't kill me..."

"Kill you? No," Sanosuke said. "I'm going to hurt you worse than the last time."

Tani screamed.

A short while later, Sanosuke slapped him into consciousness.

"Listen here, pork bun. I'm gonna let you off this last time. Your men couldn't stop me, your bullets couldn't either. Leave Takani Megumi alone. If I find out that even a strand of her hair is out of place because of you-" he paused for effect. "-no force on earth will stop me from finding you, you understand me?"

"Y-yes..."

"Good. Now, sleep." He flicked Tani on the forehead and the fat man fell unconscious again.

Sanosuke staggered past the unconscious swordsmen and down the hallway. He left via the front door, which was unguarded now.

He noted his wounds. _Some of the bullets got through the mail shirt,_ he thought. And smiled grimly when he saw that his right hand was bleeding, too. _The foxwoman is going to have a fit when she sees this!_ Strangely, that thought brought comfort to him.

The next thing he knew, he was on the ground. With some effort he got to his feet.

_Must have been hurt far worse than I thought,_ he thought. _I'm not about to die here … there are people I still need to see._

By the time he got to the clinic, it was almost dawn. There were a number of police officers speaking with Megumi.

Sanosuke hid in an alley for a while, until he was sure that they had left.

"Sano!" Megumi screamed when she saw his bloodied form. "You got yourself hurt again!"

Sanosuke did indeed look badly off. His right hand was bloodied, and his white shirt was soaked in blood, though now mostly dried.

"I told you ... there's no need to-" he replied - but then his body gave up on him - "worry..." and Sanosuke collapsed into her arms.

WHEN he came to, the first thing Sanosuke saw was Megumi, seated with her back leaning against the wall. She looked like she was asleep.

Sanosuke sat up and immediately regretted doing so. His head hurt, as did his right hand and his chest.

On a small table nearby were his mail shirt and the leather vest he wore under it to prevent the chain links from rubbing his skin raw. There were two bullet holes in the vest.

_So, the shirt did stop three bullets,_ he concluded.

Sanosuke examined his bandages. His right fist was bandaged, as was his shoulder and abdomen. He grinned ... he had been hurt worse, although he had never been shot before.

He turned his attention to Megumi. She looked even more beautiful now that her face was not marked with worry.

Sanosuke sighed. He could not help but reach out to touch her face.

An instant later he was nursing a bump on his head, with a very agitated Megumi glaring at him.

"Awake now, are you?" she said. "You had me worried, idiot! Do you know how close you were to dying?"

"I-I..."

"No excuses! If not for your ... armour-thing, you would be a corpse right now! You were lucky both bullets that didn't get stopped didn't hit your vital organs. And why did you have to use your fist?" Megumi was on a rampage, and Sanosuke decided to let her vent herself. "How many times have I told you? I'm sick of having to patch you up!"

"I'm sorry, Megumi," he said softly after she was done. "You know how I am...."

Tears streamed down her face. "Idiot ... I've already lost one man. I can't bear to ... lose another!"

She did not resist when he leaned forward and embraced her.

"I understand, Megumi. I understand."

AGAINST her instructions, Sanosuke was up and ready to leave by midday.

"Why? You're not fully recovered yet," she said. "You've also lost a lot of blood." They were in the courtyard, which was empty of people. Megumi had instructed Mrs Akashi to put a sign on the gate to tell people that her clinic was closed for the morning.

Sanosuke shook his head. "You have forgotten my legendary toughness and ability to recover," he said with a grin.

"Sano…" she began, but he cut her off.

His tone was serious: "I need to go. This Tani might send the police here, and get rid of me once and for all. And then he would be able to get rid of you at his leisure."

"You can hide-"

"No. I am not one for hiding. There are things I hope to accomplish before I may have to leave again," Sanosuke said.

He reached into his duffel bag and took out something that was carefully wrapped in oiled paper. And handed it to her.

"This is yours ... I found it in Arabia, and had it preserved in India," he said.

She unwrapped it carefully. It was a sand-coloured thing, shaped like a flower.

"It's lovely ... what is it?" she asked.

"I think it is called a Desert Rose. After it rains in the desert, the heat dries up the water before it seeps below the surface," Sanosuke explained. "During such times, small clusters of flowers seem to sprout out of the sands. Sometimes ... the evaporation creates something that looks like this."

He continued: "It is a rare thing ... when I saw it, I had to take it home. But my nomadic friends warned me that the Desert Rose represents what a man feels for a woman ... like the sand it is made of, it is a fragile thing. It will crumble the way time claims all things. So I kept it as moist as I could, until I managed to get it coated to preserve its shape."

It took her a moment before she understood the significance.

"Sano ... I-"

He grinned. "I know, I know. Kenshin is a lucky man. But I don't envy him as much as I used to. He's paid his dues."

Sanosuke took his duffel bag.

"Sano!"

"Megumi?"

"Maybe ... one day."

He smiled. "Like Kenshin's scar, the character for 'evil' written on my back will fade completely in time."

Megumi did not respond immediately. Then: "Where are you headed now?"

"I'm not sure ... probably Tokyo, to see the others."

Sanosuke opened the gates, and noted that people were already waiting outside.

"Your patients are here, Megumi," he stated, as he walked through. He stepped to one side to let the people in.

He took one last look at Megumi, and gave her one last smile. Then, he turned to go.


End file.
